


Taken by the sea

by chaerinsthighs



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Angst, First Meetings, Fluff, Folklore, Friends to Lovers, It was supposed to be short and cute, Kinda, M/M, Merman!Hoseok, Mostly Fluff, apparently, human!kihyun, i have a thing for those, merman and sailor au, slowburn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-09-12 06:26:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16867828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaerinsthighs/pseuds/chaerinsthighs
Summary: A merman gets enchanted by a human's voice.





	Taken by the sea

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Darren Hayes’ "Taken by the sea". That’s also the first song Hoseok hears him sing.  
> Other songs used:  
> Darren Hayes – So Beautiful  
> Savage Garden – To the moon and back  
> Sting – Shape of my heart 
> 
> I'm not 100% satisfied, but this is the best I can do with this story right now. I hope y'all like it <3

For Yoo Kihyun, life is simple. Keeping his small house spotless, calling his few friends and relatives that live away from him, travelling with his crew. In this small town he’s not really close with anyone, but he doesn’t mind. He’s here for the sea. When not travelling, he makes sure the deck is clean and that’s it. His life is quiet and tidy.

He sighs and wipes the sweat on his forehead. He doesn’t mind doing deck work and keeping the boat neat. He’s still a new sailor after all and he likes keeping things in order. But he’s thankful it’s a night job and he doesn’t have to do that under the sun. And at the end of his shift, he can grab a beer and watch sunrise from his favourite spot on the boat.

He grabs his bucket and turns with his back to the sea, pushing the mop inside and proceeding to clean the wooden floor. The sea is really quiet tonight and at this time of the night there’s no one around. Without thinking too much about it, he starts singing to fill in the silence.

_“Love, lay me down, slay me with whispers, reassure me that it’s alright  
I, I hit the deck, I hit rock bottom, but you saw me, then you caught me” _

Splash.

_“Shining like a ray of hope, swift like a turning sea, angel to comfort me, cradling my head in your hands  
I looked up at the sun and the fog cleared, I saw you” _

Splash.

Kihyun stops. He stops singing and moving. That was no wave caused by the breeze or a nearby boat. Someone’s in the sea, behind him. He turns around and moves closer to the edge, looking down.

There he sees him. A man with dark hair sticking to his forehead is swimming near the ship, looking towards him. The streetlights are hitting directly his face and even from this distance Kihyun can tell that the man is beautiful. He’s soon distracted by something next to him. He gulps when a large tail appears on the surface and disappears within seconds.

“You’re… you’re a… are you…”

“You have a really nice voice.”

“… A mermaid.”

“Merman. Can you sing more?”

“For you?”

The merman nods and comes closer. Kihyun doesn’t know why, but he can’t look away from his eyes. He starts singing again.

 _“And I want you and that’s so terrifying_  
_And I want you to help put out the fire_  
_Cause I am an island, you are the ocean_  
_And all of my sadness taken by the sea”_

When he’s done, the merman is smiling at him. Kihyun sits on his knees, still staring at the creature in front of him.

“What’s your name?”

“Kihyun.”

“It’s pretty. You’re pretty.”

Kihyun smiles.

“How do you know? It’s dark, the light is behind me.”

“The moonlight is enough for me.”

“Oh… Thank you. Do you have a name?”

The merman seems to hesitate.

“I’m not supposed to tell my name to strangers.”

“I told you mine. You’re a stranger to me, too.”

“… It’s Hoseok,” he replies after a few seconds.

“Hoseok,” Kihyun repeats it and Hoseok smiles wider. He likes the sound of it.

A sudden noise coming from the street makes Kihyun turn to look back. He inspects the area, but he only sees a stray cat, searching for food in a bin. When he looks back towards the sea, Hoseok is gone.

 

 

The next time they meet it’s night again. Kihyun hears a loud splash and a clanging and he feels the boat waver. He turns around to find Hoseok’s hands on the railing, his tail above the surface, trying to look at him. 

“What are you doing here?” he asks bewildered.

“Hello!”

“H-Hello? Isn’t that dangerous?”

“Greeting you?”

“Being out here in the open. What if someone sees you?”

“You see me.”

“… Is that even okay?”

“I don’t know,” Hoseok answers honestly and Kihyun sighs.

“Why are you here?”

“Cause you’re here and no one else is nearby.”

“That’s not wh-“

“Can you sing for me?” Hoseok interrupts him.

“What?”

“Can you sing for me again?”

He’s making puppy eyes at him, still holding himself from the railing. Kihyun points at his arms.

“Isn’t that tiring?”

Hoseok tilts his head smiling.

“A bit. But I wanted to hear you.”

Kihyun mirrors the smile.

“You could hear me from the water, too.”

“And see you. Up close.”

“It’s weird to have this railing between us and watch you hanging from there while I sit here and sing, you know.”

Hoseok pouts and looks around. He notices a spot with no railing on the boat and without a warning he falls in the sea again. Kihyun looks down surprised and seconds later he sees him from the corner of his eye jumping up, grabbing the edge of the boat and sitting there.

“There’s no railing here.”

Kihyun watches him in awe, noticing the beautiful scales as he takes a seat next to him. He spends several seconds to look at him. Hoseok looks strong and somehow fragile at the same time. There’s something about the merman that attracts him a lot. Well, it’s not like he sees merpeople every day. It’s normal to be curious, right? They’re the stuff of legend after all. Speaking of legends…

“Sing for me, please?” Hoseok requests again.

“Shouldn’t I be asking that of you?” Kihyun replies softly, warily.

“… Please.”

Kihyun gives in. He starts singing, staring at Hoseok’s eyes as the merman is staring back at his.

 _“Whether I’m right or wrong, there’s no phrase that hits_  
_Like an ocean needs the sand, or a dirty old shoe that fits_  
_And if all the world was perfect, I would only ever want to see your scars_  
_You know they can have their universe, we’ll be in the dirt designing stars”_

Kihyun keeps singing. When the song ends, Hoseok has the softest smile on. Kihyun feels his heart beating fast.

“Your turn.”

Hoseok’s smile wavers, but he manages to keep it on, forcing out a chuckle.

“You don’t want that.”

The merman’s voice is firm and Kihyun is taken aback. When he speaks next, his voice is barely above a whisper.

“What will happen if you sing to me?”

Hoseok raises his hand slowly, as if to touch Kihyun’s cheek, but at the last moment he decides against it.

“I won’t hurt you,” he whispers. “I have to go. Can I come and see you again?”

Kihyun doesn’t reply. He doesn’t avert his gaze either. Hoseok’s face saddens.

“Thank you for singing to me. Goodnight, Kihyunnie.”

And just like that, he jumps in the water again, disappearing from Kihyun’s sight. It takes the man several seconds to snap out of it and get on his feet.

“Hoseok?” he shouts in the night, “Yes, yes, you can!”

He doesn’t know if Hoseok heard him.

 

 

The sun is setting. Kihyun is on his own small boat, away from the coast. He’s lying on his back, looking at the sky. It’s been weeks since he last saw Hoseok. He never came back after that night, and soon after it was time for another one of Kihyun’s voyages. It’s been a few days since he came back, but he doesn’t expect to see Hoseok anymore. Or that’s what he tells himself. 

He closes his eyes and allows his mind to travel, to think about him. He remembers his beautiful scales, the gills on his hips, his dark hair. He realises he doesn’t really know what colour his tail is since he’s only seen it at night. A dark colour, brown-ish, maybe? He’s not certain. He sighs and softly lets his name slip on his tongue.

“Hoseok.”

He smiles and opens his eyes again. The sun is gone but there’s still light around, for a few more minutes.

“Uh, I’d better go back, I have work to do,” he mutters to himself.

A knock on the boat startles him. He looks around surprised but sees no one. Another knock, and he this time he realises that it came from underneath.

“… Hoseok?” he calls the merman’s name again, this time expecting a reply.

He hears the splashing of water behind him and turns around to see Hoseok, swiftly using his tail to raise himself a few inches and place his hands on the small boat. Kihyun knows that he’s not really leaning on it and he can see the tail swimming fast beneath him to keep Hoseok up.

“Hello, Kihyunnie,” Hoseok smiles at him. “How are you?”

“I’m fine. How are you? How have you been?”

Hoseok takes a few seconds.

“I’m sorry I haven’t come to see you in a while. There were too many people around and following boats while they’re full of sailors is never a good idea. I wouldn’t be able to come up and see you.”

So he had heard him. And he didn’t just forget about him. Kihyun likes the thought of that, but at the same time he doesn’t understand it.

“I’m a person, too. What’s different about me?”

Hoseok shrugs.

“I don’t know. I just like you. Have you told anyone about me?”

“Of course not. They’d think I’m crazy.”

“Or want to meet me.” Not in a friendly way, most likely.

“But you’re here.”

“So are you. With nothing but my word that I won’t hurt you.”

“I think,” Kihyun frowns, “if you wanted to hurt me, you would have done it by now. I didn’t have the chance to do anything bad to you.”

Hoseok’s deep, openmouthed laugh takes him by surprise.

“You want to have a chance to hurt me?”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it,” Kihyun pouts, feeling like a fool while Hoseok is still giggling.

“I know.” His laugh slowly subsides. “I can leave. If you try to hurt me. I’m fast. I can be far away before you even process the thought of me running away.”

“How do you know that?” Kihyun jokes. “I’m a fast thinker.”

Hoseok laughs again.

“I’m willing to risk that,” he shrugs with a smile. “I just want to see you again, hear you sing again.”

“You keep saying that but I still haven’t heard you sing. Don’t you think it’s unfair?”

Hoseok’s smile falls and Kihyun leans closer, places his hands on top of Hoseok’s slowly, looks at him in the eyes.

“Do you only do it when you’re… hunting?” he carefully asks.

Hoseok’s eyes go wide, his eyebrows shoot up and there’s that small smile of his again.

“Hunting? It’s not like that. And, no, that’s not the only way we can use our voices.”

“Oh… but... you hurt humans, right?”

It takes a long moment for Hoseok to reply.

“Not that much anymore. We mostly try to avoid them. You. Avoid you.”

Kihyun seems ready to ask something again but Hoseok stops him.

“Listen, it’s a long story. Sort of. You have to go to work soon, don’t you?”

At that Kihyun’s head shoots up and he looks around, realising more time went by. He’s fucked if he doesn’t go back now.

“Can I see you after work? I’ll tell you everything I know,” Hoseok promises.

Kihyun seems to think about it.

“It’ll be morning. What if people see you?”

“Do you mind if I take you someplace else? We can meet here. You said it yourself that if I wanted to hurt you I would have done so by now.”

Kihyun hesitates for a single second.

“Okay. I’ll sleep in the afternoon anyway.”

Hoseok beams at him. Looking at his gummy smile, Kihyun thinks that he could get used to that.

 

 

Several hours later Kihyun is back at the same spot with his boat. He’s tired but he’s also excited. He doesn’t see Hoseok around but that doesn’t surprise him, he didn’t expect to see him out in the open in broad daylight. He knows he’ll come to him, so he just sits in his boat and waits, singing quietly. 

 _“She can’t remember a time when she felt needed_  
_If love was red then she was colour-blind_  
_All her friends, they’ve been tried for treason_  
_And crimes that were never defined”_

A familiar splash makes him smile, but he doesn’t turn around. He knows Hoseok is watching him, listening, smiling behind him. He keeps going.

 _“She’s saying, love is like a barren place_  
_And reaching out for human faith is_  
_Is like a journey I just don’t have a map for_  
_So baby gonna take a dive and push the shift to overdrive_  
_Send a signal that she’s hanging all her hopes on the starts”_

When he’s done, the merman is the first one to speak.

“I really love your voice.”

“Thank you.”

Kihyun turns around and goes closer to Hoseok, who once again has his hands on the boat. He’s smiling, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Sad lyrics.”

Kihyun smiles in understanding and looks in the water. He grins.

“Dark purple.”

“My tail?”

“I wasn’t sure before. There was never enough light. It’s beautiful.”

“Thank you.”

Hoseok is smiling widely when Kihyun looks back in his eyes.

“So, where are you taking me?”

“To a cave, it’s not far from here. But there’s access only from the sea, so it’s rare for people to go there.”

“Okay, just tell me where to go,” he says while turning the tiny engine on.

Hoseok is looking at him with an innocent smile.

“What? … I can get there by boat, right?”

“Of course you can!” Hoseok happily affirms. It’s the first time Kihyun actually thinks he’s lying.

“Hoseok-”

“Come on, follow me!” the merman cuts him off and starts swimming towards a small island.

Kihyun follows him. He was telling the truth when he said that he’s a fast swimmer. He can barely take his eyes off of the beautiful body beneath the surface, just a couple of meters away, swimming next to the boat, showing the way.

Approximately ten minutes later they reach the island and Hoseok shows Kihyun where to leave his boat.

“You can secure it here, it’ll be fine.”

Kihyun stares at Hoseok.

“What?” the merman inquires.

“Where’s the entrance to the cave?”

“Here.”

“But there’s nothing here. I can’t even walk on those rocks, I can’t go anywhere outside of my boat,” Kihyun says pointing at the small island that is indeed full of big, steep rocks.

“You don’t have to walk!” Hoseok happily points out.

“Oh, good! That solves everything!” Kihyun sneers. “Just tell me, will you?”

Hoseok smiles and points at the entrance, behind him.

Dear lord. It’s underwater. Two to three meters.

“Wait,” Hoseok starts, noticing Kihyun’s expression, “you can swim, right? You’re a sailor!”

“Well… I can… but it’s not my strongest point. Not the underwater part.”

“… But you’re a sailor!”

“I never get dizzy and I do all the stuff the others don’t want to do on the boat. And I do it fast. I’m a good sailor and I support my crew well. I know how to swim, but…”

“But it’s not your strongest point. It’s not even that deep!”

“Don’t mock me! I’m human and I’m not exactly trained for these things.” Hoseok’s smile is getting on Kihyun’s nerves. Why does he find this amusing?

“That’s fine, get in the water and I’ll help you go to the other side.”

“The other side?”

“There’s air in the cave, I wouldn’t let you stay underwater for long without proper equipment, I know humans can’t do that!”

“I don’t even have a swimsuit, for fuck’s sake,” Kihyun mutters, but Hoseok has gotten impatient. He pushes the boat with his tail, making it waver and causing Kihyun to fall in it.

“Come ooon, you don’t need a swimsuit.”

“You want me to dive in like that?”

“Yes!”

“Why did I think that this was a good idea?”

“Come oooon, Kihyunnieee.”

“Ugh, fine.” Kihyun leans over the edge, looking down.

“It’s deep enough, you can jump. I’ll be here. Don’t you trust me?”

“Not since ten minutes ago.”

Hoseok has the audacity to laugh. Kihyun glares at him and, taking a deep breath, jumps in the water.

Hoseok goes lower with him. Kihyun opens his eyes and looks at him.

It’s blurry, but he doesn’t care. It’s the first time he’s seeing Hoseok like this. His hair is no longer sticking on his forehead, it’s fluffy around his head. The light coming through the surface is creating beautiful patterns on his pale body and it’s the first time he can see his tail in its full glory. His warm brown eyes are looking straight at him and his smile is no longer mocking, but warm and kind.

He doesn’t know how many minutes or seconds he spends looking at him, but next thing he knows, he needs air. He goes up to the surface, breathing heavily and pushing his hair out of his face. Before he knows it, two strong, warm arms are around his waist, keeping him up.

“I said I know how to swim, it’s just not-“

“Your strongest point. I know,” Hoseok completes his sentence.

They both talk quietly, holding each other. It’s the first time they’re this close, and they simply stare at each other’s face for a while.

“You’re so beautiful,” Kihyun hears himself mumble. The most beautiful smile springs on Hoseok’s face.

“Ready?” he asks. Kihyun nods.

“Alright, take a deep breath.”

“Okay-“

“Let’s go!”

“-wAIT”

Hoseok doesn’t wait. He pulls him down grinning. Kihyun barely has the time to fill his lungs with air before going underwater. He can’t really swim either, Hoseok is pulling him towards the cave, passing its entrance.

Kihyun can’t make out a lot of things around him yet. It’s significantly darker and he’s still underwater. But it doesn’t take more than a few seconds for him to be on surface again.

“ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME” he shouts at Hoseok, breathing heavily.

“Never.” Hoseok answers calmly.

Kihyun is ready to answer when he notices the cave around him.

It’s spacious, more than he initially thought. The water goes deep and if he didn’t know better he’d think this was a lake. There are both rough terrain and flatter areas around as the cave’s walls go up, seaweed and fungi spotted every once in a while. At the top of the cave there’s a hole, he can’t see it from where he is, but he can see the light entering and illuminating the water below, small fish swimming around the bright waters. There’s a smell around, of salt and humidity, but that’s to be expected and Kihyun doesn’t really mind.

He looks back at Hoseok, who is holding him again, his arms around his waist.

“You’re really bulky,” Kihyun blurts out. He feels exceptionally small right now, in his wet clothes sticking on him, Hoseok’s wide shoulders in front of him.

The merman bursts out laughing, of course he does and Kihyun rolls his eyes at both of them.

“You noticed this now?” Hoseok inquires.

Kihyun shrugs.

“I don’t know, we hadn’t been that close before. Compared to me you’re…”

“Huge. You’re the slim type.”

“I guess. I never really minded it.”

“You don’t need to. Somehow it suits you.”

“I’m not sure what that’s supposed to mean,” Kihyun raises an eyebrow.

“Not very bright, are you?”

Before Kihyun has a chance to give Hoseok an outraged reply, he gets carried by the merman’s arms and swirled around, a surprised yelp leaving his lips. Hoseok is giggling.

“I’m kidding, obviously,” he grins happily. “Welcome.”

He lets go of him and takes his hand instead, guiding him to one of the flattened areas, allowing him to swim more comfortably. Reaching the edge, he picks him up and places him on the slippery surface. Kihyun almost falls back instantly back in the water.

“Woah!”

“Careful. Not that I wouldn’t catch you if you fell.”

“Were you always that much of a show-off?”

Hoseok smirks.

“And yet you still refuse to sing to me.”

Hoseok’s eyes are firm on Kihyun’s, but they don’t reveal his thoughts. Kihyun thinks that maybe it’s time to stop asking this question. He decides to change the subject.

“My clothes are wet and sticky.”

“Take them off then.”

“Any stay naked?”

“Who’s gonna see you?”

“Well, you are.”

“Technically, I’ve been naked all along.”

Kihyun stares at the merman, grasping the concept. They both end up laughing, Kihyun falling in the water as a result.

He ends up in Hoseok’s arms, hugging his shoulders tightly, his heart beating fast. They’re both smiling widely, looking at each other.

Kihyun pulls back, tries to take his shirt off first; it gets stuck on his forehead. He fights with it in the water, a giggling Hoseok watching him till he finally decides to help. Kihyun is also laughing and coughing water out of his lungs. Hoseok holds him above the surface till he regains his breath.

His shorts and underwear are next. They’re not easy to come off either and he blurts out a couple of curses along with more laughter. But soon he’s naked and Hoseok hangs his clothes at a nearby rock to dry.

“I doubt that will work, it’s just too wet in here,” Kihyun comments, not really caring.

“I’m sorry, I hope you don’t get sick because of me.”

“Worth it,” he reassures him. “What is this place anyway?” he asks swimming around slowly, enjoying the feeling of the salty water on his skin.

“My home,” Hoseok surprises him. “Well, one of them,” he shrugs.

Kihyun stares at him.

“Are you rich or something? Some kind of important figure in the merpeople community?”

Hoseok laughs again and it echoes inside the cave. By now Kihyun is certain that that’s his favourite sound in the world.

“No, not really. I don’t own anything, we don’t have that concept. But I like staying here. And, no, I’m not anyone important. Quite the opposite I’d say.” He adds the last sentence with caution, in a quiet voice.

“What do you mean?” Kihyun asks and he’s not sure if he should. But he wants to know.

Hoseok’s expression doesn’t give away much, apart from a small sad smile on his lips. He picks Kihyun up again, leaving him on the flat surface from before, before joining him.

“Isn’t it more comfortable for you in the sea?” Kihyun asks softly.

“It is, but it’s wet enough, I don’t mind it here.”

Kihyun nods, lying on his back. It’s cold and hard and it feels weird. But he doesn’t move. Hoseok lies next to him and a few seconds later he hears the merman sigh.

“You wanted to know about our voices, right?”

Kihyun hums, taking Hoseok’s fingers in his.

“It’s a weapon, in a way. Well, it doesn’t have to be. We can sing casually too, but it was developed as a skill to hunt humans.”

“Why?” Kihyun’s voice isn’t accusing, just curious, but something tells him he knows the answer.

“Because we were hunted.”

The bluntness and calmness in Hoseok’s reply shocks Kihyun. The truth behind it is something he feared, but the way the merman talks about it… he’s still there, talking to Kihyun, holding his hand. Kihyun knows that if Hoseok wanted to hurt him he had lots of chances to do it so far. And yet there they are, two friends coming from different species that have hunted each other for centuries, millenniums even.

Friends. Because Kihyun is willing to bet his life that his relationship with Hoseok is genuine. He is betting his life that his relationship with Hoseok is genuine.

He squeezes Hoseok’s hand.

“I’m sorry.”

“That was a long time ago, Kihyunnie. We did terrible things to you, too. We tried to get revenge by hurting innocent people. At some point, in fear of turning this into a large scale war and causing the undoing of both species, we pulled away. There are not many like me, living so close to you.”

Kihyun nods and it seems to attract Hoseok’s attention, who was looking up all this time.

“Why do you stay here?” Kihyun’s voice is so quiet, it surprises him that he can still he heard.

“Because I like it.”

“By yourself?”

“… Do you have friends, Kihyunnie? Family?”

“I do. I have my parents and some friends, but they’re not here. They live in a city in the highlands, not too far from here, but we don’t get to see each other that often unfortunately.”

“Then why do you stay?”

“I have a job here and I love the sea. And I don’t just clean decks, I travel and I love that. Not too far away, the boat is small, but even that, it’s something,” Kihyun answers with a smile on his lips. “So? What about you?”

“… I don’t have any family.”

Kihyun’s smile drops.

“Hoseok, I’m, I’m sorry-“

“No, no, it’s not your fault! I’m used to it anyway. Being alone.”

“What about friends?”

“Not really. I could never talk to others easily.”

“You talked to me.”

At that, Hoseok smiles at him again, looking in his eyes. 

“I did. Will you sing for me again?”

“Now I wonder who the one with the powerful voice is,” Kihyun jokes.

“Oh, definitely you,” Hoseok shoots a pointy reply and, getting up, he dives again in the water.

Kihyun understands that the conversation is over, for now, at least. He doesn’t mind. He learnt enough. It’s clearer than ever that there’s a wall between them, but Kihyun now knows that he can break it.

He sits up, hugging his knees, watching Hoseok swim. It’s quite a sight, he has to admit. Hoseok is so beautiful and his smooth movements leave Kihyun in awe.

It’s pretty crazy when he thinks about it. Meeting a merman, trusting him like this. Maybe he was a little bit lonely after all. Maybe Hoseok was too, and that’s what brought them together.

Hoseok pops up in front of him and smiling offers him a hand. Kihyun reflects the smiles and taking it he jumps in the sea again.

They swim together for a long time. Kihyun looks at the different types of seaweed and watches Hoseok play with the fish around him, poking their sides and caressing their tails with his fingertips. Later, when they rest at their corner again, he sings for Hoseok, and Hoseok closes his eyes and allows his mind to wander along with the notes.

It’s early afternoon when Kihyun can no longer suppress his yawns and his tiredness is visible. Hoseok feels guilty that he kept him up for so long but Kihyun reassures him that it was his own choice and he loved every moment of it. He makes Hoseok promise him to bring him here again. Hoseok shoots him a dazzling smile in return.

 

Hoseok keeps his promise. He takes him back to the cave again and again and again. And Kihyun rewards him with smiles and songs and games in the salty water. One time he asks Hoseok to show him how fast he can swim. Hoseok does and Kihyun is left staring at him, unable to find words to comment on what he had just witnessed.

 

“Hey, Hoseok?” 

“Hm?”

“You don’t have to answer, but, I still wanna know. Why do you never sing? You said you can do it without hurting people.”

Hoseok takes a moment before replying, seated next to Kihyun, leaning back and supporting himself on his palms, looking up at the ceiling of the cave.

“Not me.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know how to do it.”

“You mean that you can’t control the “weapon” part of your voice?” Kihyun inquires, confused.

“No, I mean that I can’t sing. I never learnt how.”

Seeing Kihyun at a loss for words, Hoseok sighs and starts explaining.

“Singing is not a natural trait of us as people believe. It’s a skill we learn, one that gets passed down from parents to their children. If there no parents around, then relatives, guardians, anyone close to the child must take up on that task. But I was always alone.”

“But… how…”

Hoseok shrugs.

“I don’t know. I don’t really remember my parents and I’m not sure what happened to them. I grew up near a not so welcoming merpeople community, so finding someone to take care of me was… No one taught me how to sing, and growing up that made me an outcast and looked down upon, even in other communities. I mean,” Hoseok lets out a sad chuckle, “a merman that can’t sing…”

Kihyun is staring at Hoseok. His expression is reflecting all the sadness and the loneliness since the first time he met the merman. He remembers him saying to him sometime ago _“I’m not anyone important. Quite the opposite I’d say.”_  And he feels his heart clench in pain. Suddenly, it makes much more sense that he stuck around so easily.

“And when you were a kid… how did you…?”

“Survive? We’re different from humans. In the ocean, I have food almost everywhere, be it seaweed or smaller fish. And I suppose living close to a merpeople community kept me safe from lots of predators.”

“Wait, you eat fish?” Kihyun can’t help asking.

Hoseok looks at him wide-eyed and bursts out laughing.

“Well, you eat animals,” he raises an eyebrow at him, “including fish. Right?” 

“Well… when you put it that way…” Kihyun’s reply is awkward and he accompanies it with a small chuckle. “Listen… I’m really sorry… for what you’ve been through.”

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault. Plus, I’m used to it by now.”

“You shouldn’t be.”

“It doesn’t matter. Besides,” he smiles, “I have you now, don’t I?”

“I can teach you how to sing.”

“What?” Hoseok’s smile fades again.

“I’m not sure how different our voices work, but I can teach you the basics, everything I know.”

Hoseok stares.

“Do you want to die?”

“You won’t hurt me.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I do. You won’t have a chance. Not if we go slow. You’ll never sing for more than a few seconds at a time. Not near me, not near anyone else. How does that sound?”

Hoseok is reluctant, but Kihyun can see his resolve waver.

“Kihyun, I don’t think-“

“You want to sing, Hoseok, don’t lie to me.”

Kihyun is sure of this. What singing means to his species aside, he’s sure Hoseok wants to sing for himself. And sing along with him. He knows him well enough by now to be able to tell that much.

“If we do this, you have to promise me. If I start losing control, you’ll run away. You’ll stay away from me. You’ll even hurt me if you must. You won’t spare me. Cause I doubt my voice would spare you.”

“You’d never hurt me.”

“Not willingly. But I can lose control. Promise me, Kihyun.”

“Okay,” Kihyun swears, “I will.”

 

And the lessons begin.

 

 

Months pass. Kihyun travels and Hoseok studies. Every time Kihyun comes back he has more books with him. He does research and teaches himself what he doesn’t already know, just so that he can pass that knowledge to Hoseok. And Hoseok learns. He’s eager and loves it every step of the way. Turns out he has a really pretty voice. Sweet and soothing. Kihyun loves it even without a charming spell cast on him. He never lets Hoseok sing too much, though, no matter how much he yearns for more.

 

 

It happens one day. It has them both frozen in place within seconds. 

“Kihyun…” Hoseok’s voice is low.

“I felt it.”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I-“ Hoseok starts panicking.

“Hoseok.”

“I’ll leave. I shouldn’t be doing this.”

“Hoseok!”

The merman stops rambling at the urgency of his friend’s voice. He looks at him, terrified.

“I’m not scared,” Kihyun says firmly.

“I am.”

“I know. But all I could feel was warmth. There was nothing malicious there.”

“You think all those people that were killed had felt anything malicious?” His voice is cold.

“No, but I think they felt something different from what I did. There’s no way that power isn’t connected to what you feel, Hoseok. Those merpeople were probably scared or angry or both. Unless you want to hurt me-“

“I don’t!”

“Then you won’t!”

“You don’t know that for sure!”

“But I’m willing to risk it!”

“I’m not.”

There’s a definite tone in Hoseok’s voice. It scares the shit out of Kihyun, more than any magic power his voice has.

“What does that mean?”

“I’m giving up singing.”

“You can’t!”

“It’s either that or you. I’d rather give up singing a million times over giving up you, Kihyunnie.”

Kihyun feels his heart warm and breaking at the same time. He feels tears running down his eyes and Hoseok leans closer and wipes them with his thumbs.

“I’m sorry, Kihyunnie, I’m sorry I can’t sing with you anymore. You worked so hard for this.”

“You worked harder. It made you happy, Hoseok, it makes you happy, I know it does.”

“You make me happier.”

He pulls Kihyun in his arms and doesn’t let go for a while. Kihyun hugs him back and cries. Hoseok wants to cry too, but he can’t. He has Kihyun.

 

The next time Kihyun comes back from a voyage, Hoseok is not there.

He visits the cave, but he sees divers around and panics. When did this happen? Where is Hoseok? He knows he can get away from them, but where did he go? He vaguely remembers him mentioning other “homes”, but he doesn’t know where any of those places are. He feels stupid for not asking.

He has no choice but to wait for Hoseok to come back.

 

Weeks pass. No sign of him. 

Every night, Kihyun sings. He waits to hear his favourite voice again, to see his favourite eyes and smile. He waits in vain. He wants to call Hoseok’s name. But he’s too scared to do it.

He calls him in his sleep a couple of times, when he can’t help it, waking up from a nightmare where Hoseok is taken away from him. Nothing happens.

Weeks turn into months. Kihyun tells himself that he needs to move on, but he can’t. He tells himself that Hoseok either abandoned him or something bad happened to him, and either way he’s gone from his life.

But he can’t let go. And he knows why. It’s not just that he wants to know what happened to him. His heart aches from how much he misses him.

 

He’s out on his own small boat again, wandering around the shallow waters. He spaces out, doesn’t notice where the sea takes him. He finds himself near the all familiar cave. 

When he notices, his heart skips a beat. He hasn’t been here in a while. He’s been avoiding this place. He looks around. The divers are long gone and he knows, but it’s still weird being back there.

He lies on his back inside the boat and sings. 

 _“If I told her that I loved you, you’d maybe think there’s something wrong_  
_I’m not a man of too many faces, the mask I wear is one_  
_But those who speak know nothing, and find out to their cost_  
_Like those who curse their luck in too many places, and those who fear are lost_  
_I know that the spades are the swords of a soldier, I know that the clubs are weapons of war_  
_I know that diamonds mean money for this art, but that’s not the shape of my heart”_

His voice dies out as the song ends. He closes his eyes under the morning sun. He lets the name run on his tongue in a quiet whisper.

“Hoseok.”

He doesn’t expect a reply. He has stopped waiting. Or that’s what he tells himself.

The knock on the boat is so subtle he almost misses it. For a moment he thinks his mind is playing tricks to him. He opens his eyes.

“Hoseok,” he calls louder this time.

He hears it again. Also louder, clearer. He sits up.

“Come out.”

Splash.

He waits. Seconds, minutes, maybe hours pass. He doesn’t know. Nothing happens. Not even the sun dares to move now, huh? But that’s not right. No, that means that no time has passed.

He slowly turns around, expecting to see nothing again.

Hoseok is there. With his hands on the boat like he used to, all those months ago. He’s staring at Kihyun with an apologetic look, his eyes nervous.

But the same old warmth is still there.

“I’m sorry,” he says, voice hoarse.

God, did Kihyun miss that voice.

“What for,” he replies in a cold tone.

“Leaving you for so long. I thought I’d be back before you but it took longer than I expected.”

“You didn’t tell me you were leaving.”

“I didn’t know it either. I hadn’t decided I wanted to before you left.”

“Wanted to? What happened? What could have been so important that you couldn’t wait for me, or leave me a message? Was it because of the divers?”

“Divers? No, they must have come after I left. They appear sometimes. But no, that’s not why I left.”

“Then why?” Kihyun tries to hold back his anger and tears and frustration. “Where were you? Why did you leave?” His voice breaks and Hoseok’s heart breaks with it.

“Because you were right, Kihyunnie. Because it does make me happy.”

Kihyun freezes. Hoseok left him to be able to sing? That’s… That’s good. Now his own kind his accept him. He can go back to them. Make friends. Have a family. A place among other perpeople. He won’t have to stick around anymore.

He feels the boat swaying violently but he can’t see anything. Belatedly, he realises that he’s crying. Hoseok’s hands are wiping his tears away. He has gotten on his boat. He pulls him closer, takes him in his arms. Is this the last time he’s hugging him? Did he come to say goodbye?

“Don’t cry, baby.”

“I’m sorry. I know, I’m happy for you. You can go back now.”

“What?”

“You can go back to your people. You’ll be happy now. I’m sure they’ll love you.” Of course they will. It’s impossible to not love Hoseok.

“What are you saying? I’m not going back.”

“You’re… you’re- what? You’re not?”

“No. I’m not going back. I’m not leaving you.”

“But… your people…”

“Screw them. I don’t resent them, but they’re not important. Not compared to you.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Kihyunnie… I left in order to learn how to control my voice.”

“…What?”

“I left to practise. Away from everyone, where I couldn’t hurt you or anyone else. But it took me so long to come back, I’m sorry, Kihyunnie, I really am.”

Kihyun’s eyesight is still blurry, but there’s no mistaken it. What he sees on Hoseok’s face are tears.

“Tears. A merman’s tears.”

“All yours,” Hoseok smiles. “But I’m not sure the whole “a tear will grand you a wish” thing is true. It took many years and thousands of tears for my wish to be granted.”

“What was your wish?”

“For someone to love me.”

“… I sang for you. Every night.”

“I heard you call my name a few times. You were scared. I almost gave up to run back to you.”

“I did, sometimes. After nightmares. But you couldn’t have heard me then.”

“No, I did. That explains your tone, too.”

“What do you mean you did?” he frowns. “You were away, I wasn’t even at the sea, I was at home.”

“It doesn’t matter. We can hear it when someone calls our name, no matter how far away they are, It’s why we don’t give away our names easily.”

Kihyun is staring at him astonished.

“You and your fucking secrets.”

“I’m sorry,” Hoseok says again, but he’s smiling, “I couldn’t help it.”

“Is there anything else I should know?” Kihyun inquires annoyed.

“One more thing. Well, that’s not a secret, but I haven’t said it yet.”

“So. A secret.”

Hoseok chuckles.

“No, not really. It’s just that sometimes you’re really dense.”

“Hoseok, I swear, if you don’t stop being cryptic-“

He laughs.

“Come on, let’s go back to our cave and I’ll tell you.”

Our cave.

Kihyun feels every piece of his heart being placed back together.

Our cave.

They swim holding hands. They enter the cave and don’t let go. They reach the surface and get even closer, wrapping their arms around each other, foreheads touching, breaths colliding.

“So?” Kihyun finally asks. “What’s the secret?”

“I love you.”

Kihyun doesn’t react.

“I love you, Kihyunnie. I love you with all my heart. I won’t let you go ever again. If it’s not too late.”

“It’s not.”

Kihyun’s face doesn’t change, but Hoseok’s face gets brighter and livelier.

“It’s not?”

“And you called me dense. Have you looked in a mirror?”

Hoseok doesn’t have the chance to reply. Kihyun’s lips are on his and nothing else matters right now, it can all wait. Cause his wish is finally granted and he’s the happiest he’s ever been.

It takes them a while to stop, and when they do Hoseok takes them to their usual spot. Kihyun takes his clothes off and Hoseok is looking at him, raising his eyebrows.

“Wet and sticky, huh?” he quotes him from their first visit at the cave together.

“Shut up,” Kihyun mumbles. “How do you even know about that?”

“Been around humans long enough. I have excellent hearing abilities, you know.”

“Okay, we won’t talk about the knowledge you gained making use of those abilities, not right now.”

Hoseok laughs and Kihyun pulls his down with him, making him lie on his chest, head on his shoulder, wrapping an arm around his waist, his other hand coming up to play with his hair. Hoseok smiles and closes his eyes, relaxing in Kihyun’s embrace.

“Sing to me.”

“Right now?”

“I always did it for you.”

Hoseok’s smile widens.

“You did.”

He sings. Not just one word, not just one phrase. Not even just one song. He sings and sings and sings and lets Kihyun hear everything.

“You’ve done it,” Kihyun murmurs when he’s done. “You’ve really enchanted me with your magic voice.”

“Well,” Hoseok smiles and leans up to place a soft kiss on his lips, “that makes two of us.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Oof, one more down!  
> That's all, folks! Hope you liked it!  
> Kudos and comments always appreciated, I live for feedback. If you spot any mistakes feel free to point them out.  
> 


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